Sailboat



p 18, 1962 c. H. JONES, JR 3,054,372

SAILBOAT Filed Feb. 19. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 amass h. JONES, JR.

INVENTOR.

ATTORN Y Sept. 18, 1962 c. H. JONES, JR

SAILBOAT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb 19. 1959 0 o o 0 a o. 0.0 0%

FIG. 6.

CHARLES h. JONES, JR.

1N VENTOR.

ATTORNEY Sept. 18, 1962 c. H. JONES, JR 3,054,372

SAILBOAT Filed Feb. 19. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 CHARLES H. JONES, JR.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 3,054,372 SAILBOAT Charles H. Jones, Jr., 02k St., Lunenbnrg, Mass. Filed Feb. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 794,291 7 Claims. (Cl. 11439) This invention relates to a sailboat and more particularly a small sailboat of the transportable type.

The owning and operation of small sailboats has always been a fascinating pastime, but many factors have existed which have tended to suppress interest in this endeavor. For one thing, even small sailboats have been expensive, mainly because they represent so much hand work in their manufacture. Also, a sailboat is difiicult to maintain, particularly when used in the ocean, because of the water attacking the hull; the price of preventing deterioration is constant and expensive (or time consuming) painting of the hull. Furthermore, even when one is careful to keep the boat painted, the appearance and finish rapidly deteriorate because of successive coats of paint. At the same time, the small sailboat is easily tipped over, particularly if it is built with a small keel for shallow draft or to permit it to be readily transportable. Some small sailboats, when upset, either sink or are incapable of being righted in deep water. These and other deficiencies in the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the present invention to provide a sailboat which can be inexpensively made from readily-obtainable materials with a minimum of skilled labor.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a sailboat whose hull is almost completely fabricated from plastic, thus requiring no painting or other maintenance, yet which is not subject to deterioration even in salt water.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a sailboat having a simple and rugged element which operates effectively both as a rudder and as a keel.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a sailboat having a plastic hull with an unusual configuration of combing molded on its upper surface, whereby the sailor is able to operate the boat without slipping and to balance his weight against the tilting produced by the wind.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sailboat whose hull is fabricated in an unusual way, so that its manufacture is inexpensive and, yet, results in an unsinkable quality.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a sailboat having a shallow-draft rudder and keel, with a rudder-actuating mechanism which is free of complication and is unlikely to become entangled in Weeds or the like.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to certain of its structural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a sailboat embodying the principles of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the sailboat with the superstructure removed,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View of the invention taken on the line III-III of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the invention taken on the line IV-IV of FIGURE 2,

3,fi54,372 Patented Sept. 18, 1962 FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the invention taken on the line VV of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the invention taken on the line VI-VI of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the invention taken on the line VII-VII of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view of the invention taken on the line VIIIVIII of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURES 9, l0 and 11 are bottom views of the sailboat of the invention showing various positions of the rudder.

In this specification, the expressions top, bottom, front, rearward, vertical, horizontal and the like are to be understood as applying in the usual way to a sailboat when it is floating in the water.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, wherein are best shown the general features of the invention, the sailboat, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown as consisting of a hull 1'1 and a superstructure 12. The superstructure has a mast 13 seated in the hull; the mast is made in two parts v14 and 15 to permit disassembly, the lower end of the upper part 14 telescoping with the upper end of the lower part 15 for a short distance to lock them together into a rigid unit. Both parts are formed of tubular aluminum filled with a foam of polystyrene plastic or the like. The upper end of the upper part 14 of the mast 13 is provided with an aperture through which passes a short length of rope 16 which is attached to the upper end of a triangular nylon sail 17. The rope is knotted to lock it in place at the top of the mast. As has been stated, the sail is in the form of a right triangle made up from relatively narrow strips of nlyon cloth arranged with their lengths extending perpendicular to the long or free side of the sail. The vertical edge of the sail is provided with a hollow seam or hem 18 through which the mast passes and the horizontal edge is made with a similar hollow hem 19 in which a boom 21 resides. The boom is formed of aluminum tubing reinforced with elastic foam. The corner of the sail at which the hems 18 and 19 meet is cut away and provided with a reinforcement 22. The reinforcement defines a small arcuate area in which the inner end of the boom 21 protrudes from the hem 19 and is provided with a ring 23 which loops loosely around the mast 13 as it emerges from the hem 18. The outer end of the boom is provided with an aperture. A rope 24 passes through this aperture and also through a grommet, not shown, sewn in the adjacent corner of the sail, and is then knotted. The rope hangs downwardly from the boom and is provided at its lower end with a small pulley or block 25.

The hull 11 has a shape which might best be described as that of a surfboard, in that it has a boat-like plan, as is evident in FIGURE 2, and a flat upper surface 26 and a generally flat lower surface 27, the sides being quite straight or vertical compared with the curved sides usually used in boats. The hull is formed with an upper part 28 and a lower part 29; each part is formed as a dish-like Fiberglas shell, with the parting line between the two extending around the hull in a horizontal plane spaced somewhat above the waterline. A plastic molding 31 extends around the hull and covers the parting line. Before assembly each part of the hull is provided with a filling 30 to the parting line edge with a plastic foam, such as a mixture of polystyrene beads and a plastic cementing agent; the two parts are then cemented together to form a non-sinkable, rot-proof structure which is very light in weight. Molded in the upper part 28 is a U-shaped combing 32 which occupies the center third of the upper surface 26. The combing has a relatively broad main body 33 from which relatively thin legs 34 (D and 35 extend along the sides of the hull. The combing is smoothly streamlined into the shape of the hull and the inwardly-facing sides of the legs 34 and 35 are quite steep, as is particularly evident in FIGURES and 6, to permit the sailor to lock his feet against them. A diamond-shaped mat 36 of cross-hatching is also molded into the surface of the hull between the legs 34 and 35, the grooves in the surface being V-shaped, as is clear from an examination of FIG. 5.

I The hull shape can be readily visualized from an examination of FIGURES 3 through 8 which are successive cross-sections taken from the bow to the stern. It is clear that the upper surface 26 is fairly flat and horizontal, except for the protuberance introduced by the combing 32. The lower surface 27, on the other hand, is flat only in the center portion, as shown by FIGURES 5, 6, and 7; at the how it is smoothly curved, as is clear from FIG- URES 3 and 4-; at the stern it is also smoothly curved, as is shown in FIGURE 8. The hull is considerably thicker in the center portion and the sides in this part of the boat are quite straight, although they merge smoothly with the upper and lower surfaces. The sides at the bow and stern have a somewhat curved configuration, as is particularly evident in FIGURES 3 and 8.

A bore 37 extends downwardly through the main body 33 of the combing to retain the mast. The bore is reinforced by a short length 38 of aluminum tubing which is supported laterally by the filler in the hull and at the lower end by a boss 39 formed on the inner surface of the bottom of the hull shell. Extending completely through'the hull slightly rearwardly of the mat 36 is a bore 41 reinforced by a short length 42 of aluminum tubing. Through this bore extends a rudder rod 43 which is provided with an enlarged upper end to prevent it from sliding downwardly in the bore. To the upper end is keyed a wooden tiller 44 which extends forwardly and horizontally over the upper surface 26 of the hull. The lower end of the rudder rod 43 extends frornthe hull and is bent at a right angle to form an arm 45. which extends rearwardly of the boat closely parallel to the lower surface 27 of the hull. The rearward end of the arm 45 is bent downwardly to extend slightly rearwardly to form a fastening portion 46 which is provided with several apertures. This fastening portion is attached by rivets or the like to the rearward end of a rudder 47. Although for the purposes of this application the member designated by the reference numeral 47 is called a rudder, it will be clear as the description proceeds that it functions as a combination keel and rudder. The rudder 47 consists of a long thin strip of a flexible plastic material such as polyvinyl plastic. As is evident in FIGURE 1, it has a length approximately half that of the hull. It is fastened securely to the lower surface 27 of the hull by means of 'a bracket 48, which, as is evident in FIGURES 9, l0, and 11, is elongated in the direction of the length of the hull and holds a considerable length of the front end of the rudder immovable relative to the hull. However, this front end is the only part of the rudder which is fixed relative to the hull; the remainder is free of the hull and is capable of being'warped and twisted by rotation of the rudder rod 43.

Mounted at the bow of the sailboat is a handle 49 extending longitudinally for ease in handling. A similar handle 51 is mounted at the stern and extends laterally of the hull; this handle may be used in carrying the boat and,

7 during sailing, a rope 52 is tied to it, extends around the and the rope 52 threaded through the block 25. The sailboat is then ready for use. In sailing, the sailor finds a sitting position which will allow him to shift his weight the easiest while regulating the tiller 44 behind his back. As the sailboat heels over, the sitting position allows him to put his feet against the combing for support. Occasionally this boat will capsize, due to its small keel and due to the fact that the sailor will be tempted to run with the boat heeled over as much as possible. It is quite easy to right it again if this happens. The sailor swims around quickly to the bottom of the boat and, at a position forward of the keel-rudder, places his knee against the bottom and reaches up with his hand 'to grasp the combing. He then pulls steadily, throwing his weight backwards. The water will slowly dump from the sail and then the boat will upright. He then can head the boat into the wind and climb aboard for more sailing.

A version of this sailboat which has proved extremely popular and practical had an overall length of 12'0", a width of 31 /2, a draft of 10'', a mast 17'0" in length, a sail which has dimensions of 14'0" by 8'6" (6 8 square feet, and a hull weight of pounds; this boat was capable of carrying a crew of 350 pounds.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A sailboat, comprising a hull formed of upper and lower parts, each part being formed as a hollow shell of Fiberglas of substantial depth, the upper part having a flat upper surface with a molded combing formed thereon of U-shaped form with the legs of the formextending rearwardly along the sides of the hull, the molding having a substantially greater width than height, the parting-line between the two parts extending in a horizontal plane parallel to the waterline, each part being separately filled with a plastic foam to the parting line.

2. A sailboat, comprising a hull formed of upper and lower parts filled with plastic foam, each part being formed as a hollow shell of Fiberglas of substantial depth, a plastic strip covering the parting-line between the parts which parting-line extends in a plane parallel to the waterline, a rudder fastened to the underside of the hull, the rudder consisting of an elongated flexible strip of material extending longitudinally for approximately half the length of the hull, means fastening the forward end of the rudder to the hull,'a rudder post extending vertically through the hull and having an arm extending at a right angle. to its lower end, a tiller fastened to the upper end of the rudder post, the rearward end of the rudder being fixed to the outer end of the arm to cause a warping of the rudder as the post is turned.

3. A sailboat, comprising a hull formed of upper and lower parts filled withplastic foam, each part being formed as a hollow shell of Fiberglas of substantial depth, a plastic strip covering the parting-line between the parts which parting-line extends in a plane parallel to the waterline, a rudder fastened to the underside of the hull, the rudder consisting of an elongated thin strip of flexible plastic extending longitudinally for approximately half the length along a flat bottom surface of the hull, a bracket securing a forward length of the rudder in a position at a right angle to the bottom surface of the hull, a rudder post extending generally vertically through the hull and having anarm extending at a right angle to its lower end, a tiller fastened to the upper end 'of the rudder post, the outer end of the arm having an extension which extends downwardly in a direction generally parallel to the rudder 'post, the rearward end of the rudder being fixed to the said extension to cause a warping of the rudder as the post is turned.

4. A sailboat, comprising a hull formed of upper and lower parts filled with plastic foam, each part being formed as a hollow shell of Fiberglas of substantial depth, the upper part having a flat upper surface with a molded combing formed thereon of U-shaped form with the legs of the form extending rearwardly along the sides of the hull, a plastic strip covering the partingline between the parts which parting-line extends in a plane parallel to the waterline, a rudder fastened to the underside of the hull, the rudder consisting of an elongated flexible strip of material extending longitudinally for approximately half the length of the hull, means fastening the forward end of the rudder to the hull, a rudder post extending vertically through the hull and having an arm extending at a right angle to its lower end, a tiller fastened to the upper end of the rudder post, the rearward end of the rudder being fixed to the outer end of the arm to cause a Warping of the rudder as the post is turned.

5. A sailboat, comprising a hull formed of upper and lower parts, each part being formed as a hollow shell of Fiberglas of substantial depth filled with plastic foam, the upper part having a fiat upper surface with a combing molded thereon of U-shaped form with the legs of the form extending rearwardly along the sides of the hull, a plastic strip covering the parting-line between the parts which parting-line extends in a plane parallel to the waterline, a rudder fastened to the underside of the hull, the rudder consisting of an elongated thin strip of flexible plastic material extending longitudinally along a flat bottom surface of the hull for approximately half its length, a bracket securing a forward length of the rudder in a position at a right angle to the bottom surface of the hull, a rudder post extending generally vertically through the hull and having an arm extending at a right angle to its lower end, a tiller fastened to the upper end of the rudder post, the outer end of the arm having an extension which extends downwardly in a direction generally parallel to the rudder post, the rearward end of the rudder being fixed to the said extension to cause a warping of the rudder as the post is turned.

6. A sailboat, comprising a hull formed of upper and lower parts, each part being formed as a hollow shell of Fiberglas of substantial depth, the upper part having a flat upper surface with a molded combing formed thereon of U-shaped form with the legs of the form extending rearwardly along the sides of the hull, the combing being substantially wider than its height, and a substantial nonslip area located between the legs of the form.

7. A sailboat, comprising a hull formed of upper and lower parts, each part being formed as a hollow shell of Fiberglas of substantial depth, the upper part having a fiat upper surface with a molded combing formed thereon of U-shaped form with the legs of the form extending rearwardly along the sides of the hull, and a mast socket formed in the part of the combing joining the legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 404,626 Hunt June 4, 1889 594,068 Dobson Nov. 23, 1897 1,013,818 Rochat Jan. 2, 1912 1,872,230 Blake Aug. 16, 1932 2,376,753 Bowen May 22, 1945 2,531,946 Parker Nov. 28, 1950 2,866,985 Blacktnore Jan. 6, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 293,226 Germany July 22, 1916 815,011 Germany Sept. 27, 1951 1,123,150 France June 4, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, pp. 210-213, November 1949. Motorboat, pages 11-13, 50, 52-54, March 1950. Popular Mechanics, pages 168-172, July 1958. 

